Working with judgments is a kind of “royal road” of transformation, taking us into our deep and often unconscious views, sense of self and pain. We look at the importance of this work, and the speaker tells personal stories illustrating four ways of working with judgments: 1. mindfulness 2. seeing core patterns of mind and heart 3. metta, compassion, joy – using heart practices, and 4. deep inquiry.

We review some of the main themes of transforming judgments – the nature of judgments and four main ways of working with judgments, using mindfulness, inquiry, and heart practices. We add some exploration of the cultural dimension of judgments and how to combine inner work on judgments with outer response and how to combine inner work on judgments with outer response.

Developing energy and effort in our practice is crucial. In its mature form, effort becomes “effortless” but on the way, we need to support our practice’s energy both generally and moment-to-moment. We look at the traditional teaching of the four “wise efforts,” adding some contemporary metaphors, especially drawn from Kayakins.

A review of the traditional four “wise efforts,” formulated also in everyday (Kayalcins) language, followed by a discussion of some of the visible hazards of ‘wise effort practice” and of “effortless effect.”

In this second talk on inquiry beneath the surface through working with difficulties, we look at the basic conditioned reactions to pleasant and unpleasant, and look at how to practice and inquire on a personal and interpersonal level